All You Can Eat: Rounding Up the Season’s Culinary Fests

First Prize Pies' apple-cranberry at Let Us Eat Local.Photo: Victor Prado/New York Magazine

Just in time for fall-food-festival season, a guide to navigating the tasting-plate circuit.

Cooking Light’s Light Up the NightSeptember 21; the High Line, 16th St. at Tenth Ave.
The nutrition-minded magazine’s soirée on the High Line showcases, yes, “lightened-up versions” of dishes from chefs like Dan Kluger and Michael Anthony. Consider it a nice amuse-bouche for the gut-busting festivals to follow. cookinglight.com; $100 or $150.

The Brooklyn LocalSeptember 22; Pier 1 at Brooklyn Bridge Park
This City Harvest benefit capitalizes on the borough’s booming artisanal spirit for a waterfront extravaganza. Roam the 75-vendor open-air market for bites from Bon Chovie, Court Street Grocers, and Sahadi’s, or upgrade to the fifteen-restaurant tasting tent for plates from the Brooklyn Star and Tanoreen. cityharvest.org; tickets, $10 to $90, the latter including round-trip passage on the East River Ferry.

Grand Central Oyster FrenzySeptember 29; Grand Central Oyster Bar, 42nd St. at Vanderbilt Ave.
See who will be crowned the 2012 world-champion oyster shucker, then enter the slurp-off and go all Diamond Jim Brady on a stack of bivalves. oysterbarny.com; admission is free.

Bubby’s Pie SocialSeptember 30; 1 Main St., nr. Plymouth St., Dumbo
This seemingly virtuous benefit for the public-school system boils down to a darn good excuse to stuff pie into your maw for three hours straight. Admission is $25 or $10 if you bake a pie. Bring Tums. bubbys.com.

Identità New York October 12-14; 200 Fifth Ave., at 23rd St.
Think of this outgrowth of Milan’s Identità Golose as Italy’s answer to Le Fooding. Six Italian chefs team up with New York counterparts like Michael White, Alain Ducasse, and Cesare Casella for a weekend-long series of demos and dinners, intended to advance Italian gastronomy and plug regional foods. (No wonder it’s at Eataly.) 212-539-0204, ext. 304, or eatalyny.com; $125 for demos; $200 for dinners.

ShacktoberfestOctober 12-21; all Shake Shack locations except for those at ballparks and overseas (sorry, Dubai!)
When the Shack rolls out its special menu, it’s time to channel your inner Augustus Gloop. Wash down a brat burger with an apfelstrudel shake, and save room for a ­German-chocolate concrete.

New York TasteNovember 5; 269 Eleventh Ave., at 27th St.
Okay, we’re biased, but this magazine’s annual feeding frenzy has a stupendous restaurant lineup (Brushstroke and the NoMad, for starters) and a brand-new venue at the historic Terminal Stores. taste.nymag.com; $175 or $250.

Plus: A Day in the CountryFive tasty reasons to get out of town (or at least midtown).

October 7
It’s back to Queens County Farm Museum for its yearly Apple Festival, which celebrates the season with fresh cider, hayrides, and what is being billed as the country’s largest cobbler. Free.

October 13
You’ve likely seen smartly packaged Crown Maple Syrup on store shelves. Now, with the grand opening of a visitors center, café, and tasting room at Madava Farms in Dutchess County, you can buy some at its point of production, and sample products made with it from Mast Brothers Chocolate and Blue Marble Ice Cream. 47 McCourt Rd., Dover Plains; 845-877-0640; free.